Hey there everyone and everyone, I'm looking at getting my first jeep. Mom had an 06 unlimited and now I want one. I'm looking at a few jeeps and I have one question buring a hole through my head gasket.

THE BIG PICTURE...
I found me an 89 yj already set up pretty much where I want to start off. 6 inch lift, 35 wrangler mt/r's with kevlar and the stock 4.0L straight six

THE PROBLEM...
the engine has 114k miles on it already. I know chrysler engines can last a good minute with maintenance done on time and all, but when do yj's start to have serious engine problems?

THE SOLUTION...
This is why I call upon you citezens of jeepforum.com! I would really like to know if I found a gem, a work in progress, or just a bad idea. Any and all help is appreciated! Like I said, I'm new to jeeps and ill take all the help I can get! Thanks much, I can't wait toread your replies!

For an 89 114k is low miles. Lots of guys get 200k or more from all three varieties of engines put in the yjs.

Without see pictures and just reading the few details you posted, I am going to say its a bad idea. Would need to really see as many pics as you can get, especially from under the jeep. Gut says its probably going to be nothing but a headache.

F/S Dana 35, 4:10, open make an offer, local pick up only, will not ship. 3-8-13

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The best advise I can offer is to take your time. When I was looking for my Jeep I wanted a low mile unmodified, unmolested stocker. I wanted to do the molesting myself.
That way I could do it my way. My Jeep plan is a long term plan so I didn't mind the wait.
I knew what I was going to do with it and the conditions I have here. Heat, mountains, sand, high speed highways ect. The senate here just approved raising Nevada's speed limit to 85mph. I think Texas has some high speed limits too. The high speed limits along with hilly terrain made a fuel injected 4.0 mandatory.
I spend plenty of time at some huge dunes so that means automatic. Shifting while climbing dunes several hundred feet high is not my idea of pleasure.

Look at your local conditions and make up your own mind what you will need. Try to think of future needs, and seriously consider fuel injection.

my father had 3 grand cherokee wich lasted between 450k and 525k km. i sold a yj with a 4.0L at 350k and the 2.5 in my current yj was at 305k when i swaped it for a 4.0 from another yj. the current 4.0 is at 220k. each of my father's gc started to have electrical problems around 450k. all of my yj started to trow wather pumps, alternators and stuff like that at around 200k but no real internal problem.

Thanks all, some really great info here, and I will definately take everything into account while searching for my first jeep!

Hold on... How about a price and some pics. And welcome to the forum!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anticanman

Come on by! It's easy to network locally when you join a 4x4 club especially when all the clubs in your state are united and invited to each other's runs. You meet poor folk like me or run into guys that own some of the big companies you only aspire to order from and drool when you see their products. The great uniting factor is that we are all jeepers at heart and are willing to help each other out even if its just a little. That's what the jeep wave is all about: community. The wave is the tip of the iceberg.
__________________
Luck Favours The Prepared

As previosly stated; who know what the previous owners have done to it! See my signature line below. That being said, some people make good upgrades and do things properly. This where it boils down to YOU doing good research and inowing what to look out for. Take ALOT of pictures and then ask questions. Research everything so you are an informed consumer. An old body shop owner once told me "Putty and paint will make it what it ain't" and alot of people will hide rsut, rot and all sorts of catastrophes with bondo and paint, bedliner inside the cab and diamond plate outside the body.

91 YJ, 350/700R4/231, 8.8/HPD30 with 3.73s, 6" SOA with 38" TSLs. If I ever see the previous owner again, I am going to curb stomp that meth-head brain dead crackpot.

It's spring over ( probably on lifted springs). Many times guys cut corners on spring over jobs and make the jeep dangerous. Hard to tell what corners were cut, other than the steering. It should be fixed.

The Dana 35 (I assume is still there as there is no mention to a replacement) won't last long behind 35 inch tires, especially on a jeep that's "perfect for the trails". If you do take it there, be prepared to replace spiders, carrier, axle shafts, axle housing, etc.

It has a Carbed 4.2 i6. They are good mills but the stock carbs can be troublesome. Many guys swap them out, but I am going to assume this one is stock as that is not mentioned.

Shackles appear to be homemade. Not necessarily a bad thing, just depends on the builders skills, or lack there of.

Might have problems with axle wrap with spring over if it has not be addressed. Probably not since it was not mentioned.

Should have a slip yoke eliminator and dc shaft installed with that much lift. Again, probably doesn't since it was not mentioned.

Can't remember what trans it would have, but its earlier so it could be a Frenchie, which don't hold up well, especially with larger tires.

Personally, I might consider buying it, but only because I know what I would be walking into, which could be a lot of work. I also would consider it a project and not a daily driver so I would not be willing to shell out 6500 for it. If I could get it down to 4500 then I think it would be a good deal. I do however feel its probably not a great first jeep and would suggest you look for a 93-95 4.0l yj that has around 100k to 150k miles and not a lot of mods done to it.

Second look... Those might be stock springs, and probably 1inch lift shackles to give the stated 6 inch lift.

F/S Dana 35, 4:10, open make an offer, local pick up only, will not ship. 3-8-13

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The price is in line with what I see in GA. Looks like RE 1.5" SOA springs, at least on the front. My concerns would be making sure it doesn't have the Peugeot transmission, or an NP207 t-case. The steering wasn't really addressed properly so a test drive could verify if it handles OK on the street. Take it on a bumpy road and see. Did they install a SYE or do something to address the rear driveline angles? I can't tell from the pics. Also, I would worry about running 35s on a stock rear axle. Maybe he upgraded, but the ad doesn't say so. I'd also put it in 4wd to make sure the gears are the same at both ends. You just never know where someone might cut corners these days.

He does say there is a CIA to I'm curious to know if they might have installed EFI, or if it's just a stock air cleaner w/ a hose running to the grill. For reference, I paid $4200 for the 93 YJ in my signature (Wife's). It doesn't look nearly as nice as this one from the paint and body side, and that's really where most of the YJs I've seen around here get their value. Doesn't matter if it's all stock + a lift and tires. If it looks nice (good paint and decent stance) it's worth $6k min, all day every day.

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